Police station, vehicle set on fire in Odisha’s Bargarh

Odisha Sun Times BureauBargarh, Feb 19:
Irate locals set Melchhamunda police station and police vehicle on fire in Odisha’s Bargarh district today over the alleged failure of police in dealing with a child missing case.

People expressed outrage after police allegedly failed to find out a missing child of Bargarh businessman Mohanlal Jain after 10 days.

According to reports, Mohanlal’s son Piyush (4) went missing since February 8. Though the police had formed a 4-member team to trace the child following an FIR by the family at the Melchhamunda police station, it failed to ascertain the whereabouts of the child.

The decomposed body of Piyush was found today near Pada village under Bijepur police limits. Condemning police inaction and negligence to find out the missing child, the Marwari Manch and people from 10 villages staged a demonstration placing the deceased child’s body on the road. Later, they gheraoed the Melchhamunda police station and pelted stones.

Acting on the information, police personnel rushed to the blockade venue but had to face the public ire. Irate people torched the police station and the vehicle. They staged road blockade and started ransacking the police station alleging negligence on part of the police.

Meanwhile, the police have nabbed the main accused and are monitoring the situation.

“Police came to know about the death of the missing child yesterday. We caught the main accused within 24 hours. Now, he is in our custody. We will produce him in the court”, said Bargarh SP Jugal Kishor Kumar Banoth.

The situation is now under control and 10 platoons of police forces have been deployed at the spot. Necessary action will be taken after normalcy returns, he added.